Boys edge Div. 1 Hingham, girls clinch another Hock title in big week for CHS hockey
By Jay Turner
Senior captain Brendan Tourgee scored the game-winning goal in OT vs. Hingham. (Mike Tureski photo)
With state tournament berths and league titles both firmly locked up, Canton High’s two varsity ice hockey teams will now focus on the finer points as they look to sharper their focus in advance of another deep postseason run.
Two of the most successful public high school hockey programs in all of Massachusetts, the Bulldogs are no strangers to big games with high stakes, and both teams have already added some impressive wins to their resumes.
Most recently, the defending state champion Canton boys team passed arguably their toughest test to date by beating Division 1 powerhouse Hingham on neutral ice during Sunday’s consolation round of the Ed Burns Coffee Pot Tournament.
After losing a heartbreaker to D1 Reading in the opening round of the prestigious in-season tournament, the Canton boys made the next one count as they battled the Harbormen into a second overtime before sealing the victory with a goal by senior captain Brendan Tourgee during 3-on-3 action.
While technically the game counted as a tie in the standings for power ranking purposes, the Bulldogs sure earned this one, battling back from a 2-1 deficit after the opening period to tie the game at 3-all in the second off a pair of goals from James Howard and Brian Middleton. Matt Anderson would then put Canton up 4-3 in the third period, but the lead wouldn’t hold as Hingham snuck one in with under 30 seconds to go and the goalie pulled to send the game into OT.
After a scoreless first overtime period, Tourgee would follow up a rebound to cap the thrilling win while adding to his team-leading point total (12g, 14a). Travis Thomas also had a big game for the Bulldogs with a goal and two assists while Will Doucette chipped in with a pair of helpers.
On the girls’ side, the Bulldogs did not face any powerhouse teams last week but still managed to eke out a hard-fought 1-0 league win against a determined Franklin squad. Anna Lehan tallied the game’s lone goal while goalie Kate Budway picked up another shutout in net as Canton clinched its fifth straight Hockomock championship.
In addition to sweeping the season series with the Panthers, the Canton girls also rolled past Stoughton 9-0 at the Canton Ice House last weekend as part of the annual Hockey Fights Cancer event in memory of Reo Todesca. They have since picked up another shutout win against a strong Norwood team and now head into the home stretch with a stellar overall record of 14-3-1.
The girls certainly have their work cut out for them over the next week, however, as they wrap up the regular season with a three-game gauntlet that includes the No. 2 ranked team in Division 2 in Falmouth, the 10th ranked Westwood Wolverines, and their postseason nemesis, the No. 1 overall Duxbury Dragons next Saturday at the Bog starting at 5:40 p.m.
The third-ranked CHS boys team also wraps up the regular season with a tough, albeit slightly less formidable final stretch, with games against D1 playoff teams Winchester and Bishop Feehan and a home finale versus Boston Latin, currently the 12th ranked team in Division 2.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=122020
Posted by Jay Turner
on Feb 9 2024. Filed under High School, Sports.
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